In the field of telecommunications, numerous customers are connected with the switch of a telecommunications company via telecommunications lines. The customers can also be called subscribers. The switch is also called an exchange or PBX (central office exchange operated by the telecommunications company). Between the subscriber and the switch, sections of the telecommunications lines are connected with telecommunications modules. The telecommunications modules establish an electrical connection between a wire, which is attached to the telecommunications module at a first side, and another wire, which is attached to the telecommunications module at a second side. The wires of one side can also be called incoming wires and the wires of the other side can be called outgoing wires. Plural telecommunications modules can be put together at a distribution point, such as a main distribution frame, an intermediate distribution frame, an outside cabinet or a distribution point located, for example, in an office building or on a particular floor of an office building. To allow flexible wiring, some telecommunications lines are connected with first telecommunications modules in a manner to constitute a permanent connection. Flexibility is realized by so-called jumpers or cross connects, which flexibly connect contacts of the first telecommunications module with contacts of a second telecommunications module. These jumpers can be changed when a person moves within an office building to provide a different telephone (i.e. a different telephone line) with a certain telephone number, which the relocated person intends to keep. In the telecommunications module, disconnection points can be located in the electrical connection between the two sides. At such disconnection points, disconnection plugs can be inserted, in order to disconnect the line. Furthermore, protection plugs and magazines are known. These are connected to the module and protect any equipment connected to the wires from overcurrent and overvoltage. Finally, test plugs can be inserted at a disconnection point in order to test or monitor a line.
Recently, ADSL-technology has spread widely in the field of telecommunications. This technology allows at least two different signals to be transmitted on a single line. This is achieved by transmitting the different signals at different frequencies along the same line. The signals are combined at a particular point in the telecommunications line and split at another point. In particular, at the subscriber side, voice and data signals, which are separate, are combined and sent to the central office via the same line. In the central office the combined signal is split. The voice signal is then directed to the other subscriber(s) on the telephone call, and the data signal is directed to the other subscriber(s) participating in the data exchange. For the transmission of voice and data signals to the subscriber, separate voice and data signals are combined at the central office, sent to the subscriber and split at the subscriber side. After splitting the signal, the so-called POTS-signal (plain old telephone service) can be used to transmit voice signals. The remaining part of the split signal can be used to transmit data, for example. So-called splitters, which are used to split or combine the signal, can generally be arranged at any distribution point.
Any electronic components, which are necessary to perform the above functions, can be contained, possibly together with a printed circuit board as a base, in a functional module, which can be called a splitter module. Similar functional modules are protection modules, which contain any components which provide protection against overvoltage and/or overcurrent, as well as testing and monitoring modules, which contain suitable electronic components and circuits in order to test and/or monitor a telecommunications line. Furthermore, other functional modules in the above sense are known to those skilled in the art.
Recently, particularly in connection with ADSL technology, the rates at which telecommunications and data signals are transmitted by telecommunications modules have increased remarkably. In this connection, cross-talk effects have also increased. The term “cross-talk” describes an effect in which the contacts of a telecommunications module act as small antennas, which “send” a signal to adjacent contacts. This cross-talk signal interferes with the main signal(s) which is or are to be transmitted by the adjacent contacts. Generally, the signals are transmitted by a pair of wires and, therefore, by a pair of adjacent contacts. Thus, cross-talk between the contacts of a single pair is not an issue. However, cross-talk between the contacts of adjacent pairs is to be reduced as far as possible.
DE 43 25 952 C2 discloses a telecommunications module which is intended for the transmission of signals at high data rates. Contacts are arranged in two rows with a disconnection point being formed between opposing contacts. The contacts in each row are arranged in pairs as two adjacent contacts are adapted to connect two wires of a wire pair therewith in order to transmit a signal carried by the wire pair. In particular, the signal is transmitted to the opposing pair of contacts. The disconnection point between opposing contacts can be used in order to insert protection components, splitter circuits or other functional modules as described above. In the mentioned document, the distance, measured in the direction of the rows of contacts, between the contacts of one pair is smaller than the distance between two adjacent pairs.
EP 0 654 851 B1 describes a telecommunications module comprising contacts which are asymmetric. In particular, rear tabs of the contacts, which form disconnection points with the tabs of opposing contacts, are off-centered with regard to the front part of each contact, which comprises an IDC (Insulation Displacement Contacts) zone. The contacts are arranged in pairs, with the tabs of one pair being closer together than the tabs of adjacent pairs, which is realized by appropriately arranging the asymmetric contacts.
EP 0 849 841 A1 is related to a telecommunications module, in which the contacts of opposing rows are continuous without a disconnection point between them. In a rear part, the contacts are tapered so as to form increased distances between contacts of adjacent pairs, whereas the distance between the contacts of a single pair is small.